# 2023 Pampanga Giant Lanterns season

The 2023 Pampanga Giant Lanterns season was the fourth season of the franchise in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and their second season in San Fernando.
With the arrivals of Justine Baltazar and Encho Serrano to the team, the team began the season with a 17-game winning streak, which was broken by Batangas City on July 13. The team suffered its only other loss against Makati on August 4, thus finishing the season with a 26–2 record, tying both San Juan and Davao Occidental from the 2019–20 season for most wins in a single regular season, a record that would be matched by Pampanga the following season.
The team continued its dominant prowess all throughout the playoffs, not losing a single game on their way to their first national finals appearance against the Bacoor City Strikers. In game 3, Pampanga were falling behind heading into the fourth quarter before taking the lead with three minutes remaining. Pampanga won their first MPBL championship and their second professional title.
The team played all of their home games this season at Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center.

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | GB |
| 1 | Pampanga Giant Lanterns | 28 | 26 | 2 | — |
| 2 | Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | 28 | 23 | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | Makati OKBet Kings | 28 | 21 | 7 | 5 |
| 4 | Caloocan Batang Kankaloo | 28 | 20 | 8 | 6 |
| 5 | Pasig City MCW Sports | 28 | 19 | 9 | 7 |
* ↑ Pasig wins tiebreaker over San Juan based on head-to-head victory.

### Schedule

2023 Pampanga Giant Lanterns season schedule :
| Game | Date | Opponent | Score | Location | Record |
| 1 | April 13 | Negros | W 79–66 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 1–0 |
| 2 | April 20 | Imus | W 93–72 | Cuneta Astrodome | 2–0 |
| 3 | April 27 | Valenzuela | W 79–55 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 3–0 |
| 4 | May 2 | Laguna | W 109–85 | Imus City Sports Complex | 4–0 |
| 5 | May 8 | General Santos | W 83–81 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 5–0 |
| 6 | May 11 | Bicol | W 132–87 | San Andres Sports Complex | 6–0 |
| 7 | May 15 | Caloocan | W 76–68 | Strike Gymnasium | 7–0 |
| 8 | May 19 | Marikina | W 83–75 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 8–0 |
| 9 | May 24 | Quezon City | W 115–79 | Cuneta Astrodome | 9–0 |
| 10 | May 30 | Bataan | W 74–72 | Bataan People's Center | 10–0 |
| 11 | June 5 | Manila | W 91–63 | Muntinlupa Sports Center | 11–0 |
| 12 | June 9 | Sarangani | W 99–92 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 12–0 |
| 13 | June 15 | Pasig City | W 81–66 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 13–0 |
| 14 | June 20 | Rizal | W 93–80 | Filoil EcoOil Centre | 14–0 |
| 15 | June 26 | Pasay | W 108–89 | Filoil EcoOil Centre | 15–0 |
| 16 | July 1 | Nueva Ecija | W 76–64 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 16–0 |
| 17 | July 6 | Bulacan | W 121–88 | Baliwag Star Arena | 17–0 |
| 18 | July 13 | Batangas City | L 92–95 | Batangas State University | 17–1 |
| 19 | July 18 | Iloilo | W 93–66 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 18–1 |
| 20 | July 22 | Bacoor City | W 78–70 | Laguna Sports Complex | 19–1 |
| 21 | July 28 | Quezon | W 83–60 | Cuenta Astrodome | 20–1 |
| 22 | August 4 | Makati | L 97–102 | Muntinlupa Sports Center | 20–2 |
| 23 | August 10 | Parañaque | W 88–82 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 21–2 |
| 24 | August 16 | Mindoro | W 91–70 | Caloocan Sports Complex | 22–2 |
| 25 | August 24 | Zamboanga | W 77–71 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 23–2 |
| 26 | September 14 | Bacolod | W 103–86 | Bataan People's Center | 24–2 |
| 27 | September 26 | Muntinlupa | W 87–73 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 25–2 |
| 28 | September 30 | San Juan | W 89–73 | Quezon Convention Center | 26–2 |
| Source: Schedule |||||||

## Playoffs
### Schedule

2023 Pampanga Giant Lanterns playoff schedule :
| Round | Game | Date | Opponent | Score | Location | Series | Recap |
| Division Quarterfinals | 1 | October 6 | Marikina | W 82–70 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 1–0 | Recap |
| Division Quarterfinals | 2 | October 13 | Marikina | W 81–61 | Caloocan Sports Complex | 2–0 | Recap |
| Division Semifinals | 1 | October 27 | Caloocan | W 74–63 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 1–0 | Recap |
| Division Semifinals | 2 | November 3 | Caloocan | W 93–77 | Nueva Ecija Coliseum | 2–0 | Recap |
| Division Finals | 1 | November 11 | San Juan | W 82–76 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 1–0 | Recap |
| Division Finals | 2 | November 14 | San Juan | W 71–58 | Filoil EcoOil Centre | 2–0 | Recap |
| National Finals | 1 | November 25 | Bacoor City | W 71–58 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 1–0 | Recap |
| National Finals | 2 | November 28 | Bacoor City | W 68–65 | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 2–0 | Recap |
| National Finals | 3 | December 2 | Bacoor City | W 82–77 | Strike Gymnasium | 3–0 | Recap |
| Source: Schedule ||||||||